Europe Is Really Breaking Up With US Big Tech Now
It’s in full force
A few weeks ago, I installed Zorin OS on my dad’s old MacBook. A quite simple Linux distro.
Apple had stopped supporting the old MacBook from 2012. No more updates. It was slow and made you want to buy a new device.
Which is exactly what Apple wants, of course. Can’t blame them.
Instead of replacing it, I installed Linux. It worked well without much work.
The laptop was fast again. Clean. No Apple account. No ecosystem lock-in. Small step.
Since then, my YouTube feed and social media is flooded with content on how Europe is becoming more independent of Big US Tech.
For years, we in the EU have built almost everything on top of American technology. Microsoft runs our offices. Amazon runs our infrastructure. Google runs our communication. Apple and Google run our devices.
It worked well. It was convenient.
But since Trump, a lot of Europe is questioning that convenience and lock-in. And not just tech firms and the public sector. People too. Normal people. Switching from Microsoft or Apple to Linux. Using Proton Mail instead Gmail. Switching server infrastructure or web hosting. And so much more.
Not because American tech is bad. Obviously. It’s great tech. But because dependence in these times always comes with quite some risk, doesn’t it?
Also, competition never hurts.
Europe is investing heavily to reduce dependence
Over the past year(s), the EU has started investing billions into its own digital infrastructure. A lot of cash. Everywhere. Which is an excellent start.
This includes semiconductors, cloud infrastructure, tech in the public sector, and AI systems built inside Europe. The goal isn’t to replace US companies completely. That would be unrealistic. But having strong alternatives that keep growing over the coming decade. That’s crucial.
The European Chips Act is a good example.
Europe wants to produce more chips locally instead of relying entirely on Asia and the US. Smart move. Chips are the foundation of everything digital. Without them, there is no cloud, no AI, no modern economy.
At the same time, Europe is investing heavily in sovereign cloud infrastructure. European cloud providers, European data centers, European control. Nextcloud is a prime example many people haven’t heard about or used.
I don’t hate US tech. I use Us tech every day. A for personal use that’s totally fine, I believe. But critical infrastructure shouldn’t depend entirely on foreign companies.
Digital sovereignty is the buzz word. Having control over your own digital foundation.
For a long time, Europe didn’t. Now we’re trying to change that.
The most interesting changes are happening in governments
This shift is happening locally.
Here in Schleswig-Holstein, my German home state, the northernmost state of Germany, the government is actively moving away from Microsoft and other proprietary software.
Which is a humongous undertaking. And a huge pain in the b*tt.
The goal is to run the public sector on open source software. Sounds tough. It is. But Schleswig-Holstein is on a good way, actually.
Linux instead of Windows. LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office. Nextcloud instead of SharePoint and OneDrive.
Not theoretical. In practice. Thousands of government employees are transitioning to these systems right now. That costs money and time.
But it has several benefits. Eventually, lower costs. The government spends hundreds of millions just on Microsoft licenses.
Also, more control. Less dependence on a single vendor. And importantly, the ability to fully control where data lives and how systems operate.
It comes with problems too. What doesn’t? But those shouldn’t hold progress back.
Austria is studying this transition closely. France has done similar experiments in parts of its public administration. Other European countries are watching. And doing.
Once one government proves this works at scale, others will follow. That’s always the case. This is how big US tech started too.
Government infrastructure tends to move slowly. Especially in Germany. But once it moves, it moves permanently, or at least for quite some time.
Cloud is the real battlefield
Operating systems are one part of the story. A relatively easy one, actually. Linux distros have gotten so good, and we have entire distros made and managed in Germany. They’re strong, non-invasive, not AI-first, and open source. Exactly what you want for the public sector.
Cloud infrastructure, however, is the bigger issue.
Most European companies today rely on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. European startups use them by default.
It makes sense. They’re reliable. Mature. Easy to use.
But it also creates more and more dependence.
If our entire infrastructure runs on a foreign platform, we don’t control it. Even if the servers are physically located in Europe. Which more and more are.
That’s why Europe is investing heavily into sovereign cloud alternatives, more data centers in Europe, and more infrastructure.
Projects that ensure European data stays under European control, governed by European law, and operated by European companies.
Having options matters.
Open source plays a huge role in this shift
Open source doesn’t mean free or cheap or “worse than the closed source”.
It just means more control. Open source software is becoming a key part of Europe’s independence strategy.
Linux, LibreOffice, Nextcloud, and many other tools allow organizations to operate without being locked into proprietary ecosystems.
They can modify the software. Host it themselves. Control it.
Europe is not trying to replace US tech completely
That’s not the goal. After all, alliance and international support is important too.
US tech companies will remain crucial partners for everything . Their products are excellent. They’ve shaped modern computing.
Europe just doesn’t want to depend on them exclusively anymore.
Balance.
Having European alternatives. European infrastructure. European capabilities.
So that Europe can make its own choices. Not be forced into them.
This shift will probably take decades
Infrastructure changes slowly. Especially at the government level.
But the direction is set. Europe is investing in chips. In cloud infrastructure. In open source. In AI. In its own digital ecosystem.
Five years ago, this wasn’t a priority at all. Now it is.
The transition happening in Schleswig-Holstein is one example. Small in the global picture, but still pretty cool to watch. Close to home for me. Literally.
It often starts with small decisions
Installing Linux on one laptop doesn’t change much. But every transition starts with something minor, doesn’t it?
It shows that alternatives exist. That independence is possible. That the default isn’t and shouldn’t be the only option.
Europe is finally trying this change at scale. Slowly building its own digital foundation.
To ensure that its future isn’t entirely dependent on someone else’s infrastructure. Feels like the right direction.
And I love watching the YouTube videos of people switching to Linux or trying open source alternatives.